January 09, 2009

House votes to impeach Blagojevich

Posted by Ray Long and Rick Pearson a 10:25 a.m.; last updated at 10:40 a.m.; (for the live blog, scroll down; to read more about what's in the impeachment document, click here.)

SPRINGFIELD---In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state’s 40th chief executive on trial with the goal of removing him from office.

The vote by the House was 114-1 and marks the first time in the state's 190-year history that a governor has been impeached, despite Illinois' longstanding reputation for political corruption.

Rep. Milt Patterson (D-Chicago) was the lone vote against impeaching the governor. Patterson, from Chicago's Southwest Side, said after the roll call that he didn't feel it was his job to vote to impeach the governor. He declined comment on whether he approved of the job Blagojevich is doing.

A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor will not resign. A 2 p.m. news conference with the governor is scheduled for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.

The actions of the House--approving an article of impeachment maintaining Blagojevich had committed abuses of power--represents the equivalent of an indictment.

The impeachment resolution covering Blagojevich's actions "show a public servant who has betrayed his oath of office, who has betrayed the public trust, who is not fit to govern the state of Illinois,” said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, the Chicago Democrat who headed a special panel that recommended Blagojevich’s impeachment a day earlier.

Next week, when the Senate convenes, it will begin the process of setting up a trial of the governor in which each of the 59 state senators act as judge and jurors.

A total of 40 senators are needed to convict Blagojevich which would remove the governor from office and make Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn the state’s new chief executive. A trial is expected to take at least three weeks.

While the debate was free of partisanship, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna was quick to criticize Democrats following the impeachment vote.

"After six years of enabling and endorsing Rod Blagojevich, the Democrats who run this state waited until Illinois faced national embarrassment to act and are now voting to impeach a governor they worked to re-elect only two years ago," McKenna said in a statement. "To make matters worse, these same Democrats have fed this crisis by refusing to strip the governor of his appointment powers, and are helping to seat Blagojevich's hand-picked and tainted choice for United States Senator."

House members had expressed hopes that the impeachment would encourage Blagojevich to resign from office to avoid the Senate trial. But Blagojevich has resisted calls for his resignation following his Dec. 9 arrest at his North Side home on federal corruption charges, including allegations he sought to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

On Thursday, after the House investigation's panel recommended Blagojevich’s impeachment, the governor said he looked forward to a trial in the Senate, presided over by the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, and “believes the outcome will be much different” from the House action.

Posted at 10:24 a.m.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is planning an afternoon press conference to address the House vote on impeachment, a spokesman said this morning.

The appearance is tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.

Posted at 10:22 a.m.

Rep. Al Riley (D-Hazel Crest) told young people that while lawmakers are sad to impeach Blagojevich, it's not a sad day because "it proves that the system works."

Riley recalled that the sun still came up and the mail was delivered the day after President Kennedy was shot.

Posted at 10:20 a.m.

Rep. Eddie Acevedo (D-Chicago) said Blagojevich's situation is a distraction from all the other work to be done in state government.

"He is simply unable to govern as a governor should," he said.

Posted at 10:15 a.m.

Where, you might ask, is Gov. Rod Blagojevich as the Illinois House debates his impeachment?

A Tribune photographer took pictures of Blagojevich going jogging in his Ravenswood Manor neighborhood at about 10 a.m.

Posted at 10:10 a.m.

Rep. Careen Gordon (D-Morris) said Blagojevich can attempt to repair his image, but shouldn't be allowed to do so "on state time."

"Our time is being wasted on the shortcomings of one man," she said.

Gordon also talked a lot about the various times she took the oath of office, saying that politicians should mean it when they do so.

"Sadly, the governor of the state of Illinois never meant a word when he said that he would uphold the Illinois Constitution," Gordon said. "He is not the rule. He is the exception."

Posted at 10:00 a.m.

Rep. David Miller (D-Calumet City) is asking Reps. Currie and Durkin about Blagojevich's due process rights, apparently to get on the record an explanation of why Blagojevich could be impeached despite not being found guilty in a criminal court.

Had some technical difficulties and did not hear the remarks of Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago).

Posted at 9:55 a.m.

Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), a longtime Blagojevich critic, said it's the House's duties to "clean up the mess" and "stop the freak show" that has become Illinois government.

"The plague that has been brought upon our state by Rod Blagojevich will be lifted," he said.

Franks said voting for impeachment is his "finest moment as a state legislator."

Posted at 9:45 a.m.

State Rep. Susan Mendoza (D-Chicago) said the impeachment report is "astounding."

"The governor has clearly, clearly been unable to govern for far too long," she said. "It's been an ugly and shameful spectacle. Rod Blagojevich, you should be ashamed of yourself...take your sullied place in history."

Posted at 9:40 a.m.

Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), an impeachment panel member, laid out the standard for impeachment: it's up to the individual members to decide what constitutes "cause" for impeachment.

"This report is all about a governor abusing his power," Lang said. He then noted it's President Nixon's birthday and compared Blagojevich to Nixon, who resigned before being impeached.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we deserve better," said Lang, calling the impeachment resolution the most important vote of his career.

Posted at 9:35 a.m.

Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), whose district includes Blagojevich's North Side home, said he never thought he'd be voting on an impeachment resolution. He then quoted from Abraham Lincoln's "A House Divided" speech.

"This House is not divided against itself, it is united...It is united to restore the faith in state government," said Fritchey, an ally of Blagojevich's estranged father-in-law, Chicago Ald. Richard Mell.

Fritchey then went on to tweak President-elect Barack Obama's campaign slogan, saying when it comes to restoring the people's faith, it's not a matter of "Yes, we can," but "Yes, we will."

Posted at 9:30 a.m.

Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), the minority spokesman on the impeachment panel, told his colleagues the evidence against Blagojevich is overwhelming and went without rebuttal by the governor. He then ticked off a list of the governor's alleged offenses.

Impeaching Blagojevich "ensures the public and everyone in the state that a system of checks and balances works." But Durkin also warned that impeaching the governor doesn't remove him from office---that job will fall to the Senate during a trial later this month.

Posted at 9:20 a.m.

House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego, a onetime personal friend of Blagojevich who jogged with him in a photo op during the governor's first week in office, said there's no doubt the governor has violated the oath of office. Cross' minister father also baptized Blagojevich's daughters.

"You ought to be angry. You ought to be disgusted," said Cross, likening Blagojevich's actions in office to a home break-in. "We have no choice today but to vote yes on this resolution."

Posted at 9:07 a.m.

House Speaker Michael Madigan is running the floor today, which isn't usually the case on a garden-variety session day. He threw it to House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who chaired the impeachment panel.

"We stand here today because of the perfidy of one man, Rod Blagojevich," Currie said. "Instead, he said he would fight, fight, fight and he castigated us as nothing better than a political lynch mob. Well, we're anything but that."

Currie said "vigilante" justice would have seen Blagojevich impeached within days of his Dec. 9 arrest. Currie said Blagojevich did not appear before the impeachment panel and the governor's lawyer didn't offer much of a defense for him.

Currie cited what she said is Blagojevich's betrayal of the public trust: allegations he tried to dole out state jobs and a Senate appointment and sign legislation all with an eye toward enriching himself, his wife or his campaign fund.

"They show a public servant who has betrayed his public office, who betrayed the public trust.... His silence in this grave matter is deafening," said Currie, adding Blagojevich is unfit to hold his office.

She urged the House to vote "yes" on impeaching Blagojevich.

Posted at 9:01 a.m.

The House is in session, with the invocation delivered by the brother of Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro). "Let truth stand over preference," said Rev. Milton Bost of Chatham Baptist Church, while acknowledging the state and nation will be watching today.

Rep. Bost then led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), a Blagojejvich ally, is the only lawmaker reported absent, though only 115 of the 118 answered the roll call.

Comments

This is the most corrupt state in the world. The senate do not have a legal right to impeach any govenor. You might as well burn the constitution of the United States. This Illinois Senate has made themselves the judges and jury of a govenor without legal rights. Who will be next that steps out of line. Even the State of Illinois States Attorneys are corrupts. You do not like a person or their political methods you condemn that person? Destroy a person life with lies. Not one of those phoney senators have respect for themselves. We need to privately wiretap their phones. Those guys are a bunch of real mob crooks. Tell them to read the Constitution and not theirs. Impeach a govenor because you do not like him. Illinois the corrupt State where the senators and the states attorneys are the real crooks.

If the Governor is guilty or not, he should be able to bring in witnesses. I believe that is due process. I do not think he is any worse than many others, the State of Illinois just wanted his hide and was having him taped. I personally feel he should step down himself.

Why are they not saying anything about President Obama when a Senator, he got earmarks for millions of dollars to a certain hospital where Michelle Obama worked, then suddenly he received a raise three times her salary. You don't think anyone was on the phone making a deal? Please. They are all crooks in Illinois.

I like how you (Blago) are trying to turn it around on the House by saying "look at all these things I did that they shot down." It's not about any good things you might have done, its about all the bad things you did. As you were reading off all those "good things," I couldn't help but think of what kind of underhanded tactics you took or who had to pay you off in order to get you to do those things. You are forever tarnished and will never survive this. You can deflect all you want but everyone sees you for the crook that you are.

"I'm not sure what Andy McKenna is accusing...he really thinks that democrats should have pushed for impeachment BEFORE criminal charges were announced."

Half the stuff they cited for his abuses of power was widely known and reported by the Trib and other papers. The arrest and charges for brazenly trying to sell the senate seat were just the straw that broke the camel's back.

You Blago apologists need to understand that there's a mountain of evidence against him that a backdrop of a million disabled people won't obscure. You'd best give up your vain quest now because you're going to be disappointed when he goes to jail.

The legislators have been licking their lips for a long time to hurt Blago. This Senate seat issue has just given them an excuse. I just wonder how bad the Republicans would want a special election if the Governor was a Republican who would send another Republican to DC? Hmm? Thought so.

SECTION 14. IMPEACHMENT
The House of Representatives has the sole power to conduct legislative investigations to determine the existence of cause for impeachment and, by the vote of a majority of the members elected, to impeach Executive and Judicial officers. Impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When sitting for that purpose, Senators shall be upon oath, or affirmation, to do justice according to law. If the Governor is tried, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senators elected. Judgment shall not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any public office of this State. An impeached officer, whether convicted or acquitted, shall be liable to prosecution, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.

Folks, let's clear up one misconception about the phrase "innocent until proven guilty." That is binding only on the government when it is trying to deprive you of your life or freedom from imprisonment. It is not binding on the media. It is not binding on you or me, unless we are sitting on his jury. It only applies within the four walls of his criminal courtroom, nowhere else in the world. I personally watched Jack Ruby kill Oswald on live TV. I found him guilty of homicide immediately, without need of a trial. The terrorists who flew the planes into the WTC never had a trial proving them guilty. Does this mean they are presumed innocent to this day? And the people who say Blago only talked, and never committed any criminal act are misguided too. That is the crime of conspiracy, i.e. planning and trying to commit a crime. It is not a defense that the criminal was thwarted in succeeding. Besides, Blago did more than just talk. He gave directions to his henchmen who followed through on those directions. That is criminal action.

The legal journals are saying there is not a strong case because he was only talking about various possibilities but not actually doing anything criminal.

That is illogical and nonsensical because, if it were correct, then you couldn't arrest anyone for scheming to kill, rob a bank, etc. But I'm sure more than one schyster lawyer has attempted a "he was only talking" defense tactic.

Wow. The grounds for removing him from office are stated. Abuse of Power. It need not be a crime in order for him to be removed. Removal will be as the Senate decides according to their own judgment, just like he decided to appoint Burris. The proceedings are entirely independent of the criminal proceedings and it makes no difference for removal whether he's found guilty of the criminal charges or not, nor will the Senate's vote have anything to do with the criminal proceedings. They are two vastly different things.

I'm not sure what Andy McKenna is accusing...he really thinks that democrats should have pushed for impeachment BEFORE criminal charges were announced.

In addition, democrats didn't "refuse" to strip him of his appointment power, they simply realized that Blagojevich had the power to pocket veto that action, holding it up for 60 days (at which point they could override the veto but it would be far too late). And I'm not sure how he considers Harry Reid turning Burris away as "helping to seat" him?

I'm not surprised the opposition is making ridiculous and unfounded comments...but why is the paper bothering to print that nonsense?

The legal journals are saying there is not a strong case because he was only talking about various possibilities but not actually doing anything criminal. Talking is still 100% legal and requires action before any crime occurs.

Some people might not like how financial democratic politics plays out, but we're just getting a glimpse of what is usually hidden from public view.

The Democratics are GRANDSTANDING over a man that they backed and pushed into our faces two years ago. They are just as bad a Blogo'h - and I was stupid enough to fall for them.

I am so glad we now have a leader coming into his presidency that will stick to his words and promise a transparent government. As OBAMA promised to deliver - "A CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN". I hope by his example, it will trickle down to the state level.

I just hope we didn't get lied to like we did when Blogo'h was running. "A CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN" better not be a lie.

Our Governor should be forced to step aside at least for the short term. If there was clear evidence that this activity was going on in the private sector, a school system or a municipality, the person would at least be put on paid leave.

With Emil Jones gone and hopefully Blago on his way out, maybe our state can make some progress. How about a call for term limits while we're at it.

I also find it interesting that some Republicans are trying to capitalize on this after the corruption with Ryan and all of the Republicans in Washington being convicted. There are corrupt people in both major parties.

I join in your hopeful wishes Melissa that our country drop this division and come together as one united America working for the common good of the entire nation, not just a particular Party or a particular individual. As we are witnessing it now, a house divided cannot stand, and boy are we falling apart on all fronts.

The citizens of Illinois need to wake up and throw all these incompetent clowns out of office - democrats and republicans alike. The democracts (esppecially the so-called leaders) have enabled Blago all these years and now, suddenly they are outraged with his behavior. Where were they all these years? If we could find a benevolent dictator, I'd vote him or her governor for life....

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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